Our Ultimate Identity.

There’s a renewed focus on ‘race’ in our society today, on the nightly news and in the national discourse, and it is not a good one.  There’s ample hysteria to go around, regardless of which side of the divide you happen to fall on politically or philosophically.  One interesting alignment which has occurred in light of many, many abusive instances in recent years is Libertarians— freedom-lovers, such as myself— and Liberals— traditionally, lovers of more government and bigger government— have found themselves in agreement that the militarization of the American police force does not bode well for the future of our Republic.

Aside from the political, the philosophical, and even the literally racial {what color your particular skin happens to be}, I’d like to offer the spiritual, i.e., an eternal perspective.  As a nation, we tend to look at issues of race, color, class and culture from a political perspective and laugh {or cry, as the case may be}, but what should be happening in the Church of the Living God?  What should happen in the realm of the Spirit?  Should it look any different?  Are we operating from a different paradigm, or just couching our arrogant attitudes and racist reactions toward each other, in ‘spiritual terms’?  And if you think by ‘racist’ I’m referring only or exclusively to a ‘white vs. black mentality,’ then: [1] you don’t understand how my mind works at all; and [2] you have no idea what the word ‘racist’ means.  ‘Racism’ is “prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism against someone of a different race based on” the belief that said race is “inferior or superior” to your race or other races.

In certain circles of the Church today you still have to be ‘white to be right,’ or ‘black enough to fit in,’ you might have to speak Spanish or have an interpreter to attract new members.  Among the Asians you have to be Korean, Chinese, Filipino to attend here.  The culture of race, the culture of class, the culture of denominationalism and internecine warfare— charismatic vs. non- charismatic, Evangelical vs. Independent, Protestant vs. Catholic, traditional vs. cutting edge— demands conformity …or else!  And not a single one of these distinctions exists in the Bride of Jesus, the Body into which we were “baptized.”

“You are all Sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,” wrote Paul in Galatians 3, “for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with” Him.  “There is neither Jew nor Greek [racial distinctions], slave nor free [social distinctions], male nor female [sexual distinctions],” and in Colossians 3:11 the Apostle adds, “circumcised [Jew] or uncircumcised [Gentile = religious distinctions], barbarian, Scythian [the most barbarous of barbarians = cultural distinctions], slave or free [economic distinctions], but Messiah is all, and is in all....  For you are all one in Christ Jesus.  If you belong to Christ [and you do], then you are Abraham’s Seed, and heirs [of Eternal Life and the Kingdom to come] according to the Promise” {Gal. 3:26-29}.  You getting the picture here?  The ground is unbelievably level at the foot of the Cross.

Your primary identification is not of race or class or sex or religion; it’s not how much money you make or don’t make, or who you think you are because the world applauds you or the world despises you.  Your primary color as a Child of God is neither black nor white nor yellow nor brown.  Your only identifying color now is red— blood red— for you have been immersed in the blood of the crucified King, cleansed of all your sin, and purified by His presence within you!  There are no racial, cultural, or socio-economic identifiers any longer: you are eternally identified with the King and His Commission.  Jesus is your ultimate identity.

HJC	Ric Webb  |  Shepherd Heart’s Journey Community 9621 Tall Timber Blvd. |  Little Rock, AR 72204 t +1.501.455.0296 | hjcommunity.org